Shloka 36
Vidyā–Avidyā and the Twenty-Fifth Principle
Sāṃkhya–Yoga Clarification
मानिनां कुलजातानां नित्य शास्त्रार्थचक्षुषाम् । क्रियाधर्मविमुक्तानामशक््त्या संवृतात्मनाम्
mānināṁ kulajātānāṁ nityaśāstrārthacakṣuṣām | kriyādharmavimuktānām aśaktyā saṁvṛtātmanām ||
波罗舍罗说道：“即便是那些受人敬重、出身高贵、常以‘经义之眼’观照者所作的世间行事；又或那些因无力而离于仪轨之责、其内我被遮蔽者所作的世间行事——终究也必归于败坏。由此可知：对这等人而言，世间除苦行（tapas）之外，再无真正善业；唯有苦行，能在寻常作为不能结成久远之果时，净化并安住其自我。”
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Worldly action (laukika karma) is unstable and can be rendered fruitless even for the respected and learned, and also for those unable to perform prescribed duties; therefore disciplined austerity (tapas) is presented as the reliable ‘good practice’ that purifies and supports inner realization when ordinary action cannot secure lasting good.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and liberation-oriented conduct, the sage Parāśara addresses the limits of social status, learning, and ritual performance, arguing that when action is compromised—by circumstance, incapacity, or inner obscuration—tapas becomes the principal means of ethical and spiritual uplift.